Swimming jacket



H. A. PRESCOTT SWIMMING JACKET Filed Feb. 15 1924 frasa'aii.

Patented Dot. 7, 1924 HENRY A, rnnsoo'r'r, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWIMMING JACKETPU v r 'lil'i' Application filed February 15,1924." Serial No. 693,031.

I '0 all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HENRY A. PRES- oo'rT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Swimming Jacket, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a swimming jacket or garment designed primarily for use by bathers unable to swim or who lack confidence in their ability.

One ofthe objects of the invention is to provide a light and durable garment which is attractive, can be readily placed in position, and can be easily adjusted to fit per sons of different sizes.

Another object is to provide a garment of this character utilizing combined stabilizing and supporting wings, these wings as well as the body portion of the garment being adapted to be easily inflated so as to provide the desired buoyancy.

A further object is to so locate the wings of the garment that they will not interfere with the forward or backward swimming by .the wearer.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the com bination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the garment, a portion being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33, Fig. 2.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the body portion of the garment adapted to rest against the front portion of the body and provided with a cut away portion 2 adapted to receive the front portion of the neck of the wearer, those portions of the garment at the sides of the neck receiving portion being adapted to extend partly over the shoulders. These shoulder portions are shown at 3. Extending from the sides of the body portion of the garment preferably adjacent the lower end, are wings 4 so shaped and proportioned that when the body portion 1 is in proper position on the'wearer these wings-will eX- tend laterally from the sides of the wearer where they will be free to swing backwardly under the arms of. the weareror forwardly. The bottom portion of thebody is extended downwardly a short distance below the wings to provide ends'5 and'to these. ends are fastened waist straps6 one" of which has a buckle 7 whereby the straps can be connected and caused to fit snugly about persons of different girths.

' Secured to the side portions 3 of the body are shoulderstraps 8. 'These straps con-" verge and "are fastened together as shown at 9 where they merge into a single elongated tongue 10. This tongue is folded to provide a loop 11 and a buckle 12 is carried by the end of the tongue and is adjustably mounted on the opposed portion of the loop 11. One of the straps 6 is extended loosely through the loop 11 so asto be supported thereby at the back of the wearer. By adjusting buckle 12 the shoulder straps can so be adapted to fit persons of different heights.

The body 1 and its wings 4 are formed of coinciding sheets of suitable air retaining material such as rubberized fabric, oiled fabric, sheet rubber, etc. are fastened together at their edges and form a continuous space therebetween eX tending throughout the area of the body and its wings. In Fig. 1 a port-ion of one of the sheets has been removed to show the space between the sheets. A valve 13 can be located where desired and by means thereof the body 1' and its wings 4 can be simultaneously inflated.

When it is desired to use the garment it is adjusted to the wearer and then secured by means of the straps as shown, strapsfi being extended around the waist while straps 8 and tongue 10 are-extended over the shoulders and along the back. The garwearer 1s swimming and, by being held under the arms, will properly support the wearer while floating.

The device is cheap to manufacture, can be made very attractive by producing it in different colors, and, when it is not in use YT I The two sheets 85 can be worn deflated with the wings 4 hanging downwardly Where they will not be in the way of the wearer.

hat is claimed is 1. A garment of the class described including an inflatable body having lateral extending inflatable wings communicating therewith and adapted to swing back and forth relative to the body, a waist strap connected to the lower portion of the body, shoulder straps connected to the upper portion of the body, an adjustable means connecting the shoulder and waist straps for supporting the waist strap.

2. A garment of the class described ineluding a body adapted to fit against the body of the wearer between the waist and the neck portions, said body of the garment having integral laterally extending wings adapted to swing forwardly and backwardly relative to the body at the sides of the wearer and below the arms of the wearer, there being a neck receiving cut away portion at the upper end of the body of the garment. said body and its wings communicating and being inflatable simultaneously, connected shoulder straps extending from the upper portion of the body, an adjustable loop sup ported thereby, and waist straps connected to the lower portion of the body and adjustably supported by the loop.

3. A garment of the class described including an inflatable body having a cut away neck receiving portion at its upper end, inflatable wings at the sides of the body and above the lower end thereof, the interiors of the wings and body being in constant communication, waiststraps secured to the sides of the body below the wings and cooperating with the lower end of the body to bind upon and encircle the waist of the wearer, shoulder straps connected to the upper portion of the body, a looped tongue carried thereby and adjustable longitudinal" ly, said tongue constituting a support for the waist straps.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aliixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY A. PRESCOTT.

Witnesses:

HERBERT D. LAWSON, I. E. SIMrsoN. 

